4A SOFTBALL SECTIONAL: Redemption at stake when Tigers meet Normal

Edwardsville’s Torrie Kruse hits a double in the third inning of Tuesday’s 10-2 Class 4A Normal West Sectional semifinal win over against Belleville East in Collinsville. She and her teammates will face Normal Community in the final at 11 a.m. Saturday in Normal.

NORMAL — When Edwardsville and Normal Community clash for the Normal West Sectional championship at 11 a.m. Saturday in a rematch from 2014, both teams will be looking for a measure of redemption.

The Tigers (28-4), who reached the sectional championship with a 10-2 semifinal win over Belleville East, are in search of their fifth sectional championship in coach Lori Blade’s 11th season. But they’ll have to do it against a team that handed the Tigers 50 percent of their losses this season.

Edwardsville played the Ironmen (26-6), who reached the sectional title game with a walkoff 2-1 victory against East Moline, in a doubleheader at NCHS on April 11 and lost both games (4-3 and 9-8) in walkoff fashion in the seventh inning.

In each game, Edwardsville led before losing late, including allowing five runs in the bottom of the seventh in the second game.

“When we were up there, we had some errors and we’ve got to clean that up again to be able to compete with them,” Blade said of the Ironmen. “… We had our chances up there both games.”

“We let the last games against them get away,” said junior left fielder Hayli Green, who was 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI against the Lancers on Tuesday. “We competed throughout the season to get ready for this game.”

The doubleheader loss to the Ironmen stopped Edwardsville’s season-opening winning streak at six games and opened some eyes for the Tigers.

“Just playing them, I think we learned from those losses,” said junior second baseman Jordan Corby, who was 4-for-4 with a double and four runs scored against Belleville East. “We’re going to go in there with the fire to get them back. I think it’s going to work.

“… I think we’ve always been confident. We’ve had our losses and we’ve learned from the losses, and I think they’ve all benefited us in that way.”

The Iron, who gained confidence winning those games against Edwardsville, remember what happened in this game a year ago in O’Fallon.

Edwardsville blitzed Normal Community 12-0 in six innings, and the Iron haven’t forgotten it.

“Last year did not go how we wanted so we’ll definitely seek some revenge,” Iron senior pitcher Ali Domkuski (14-4) told the Bloomington Pantagraph. “We played them this year well. We have to come out even stronger than that and really put it on them and get a little payback.”

Blade expects the Iron and 14-year coach Bob Grimes to remember as well.

“They have a senior pitcher that I’m sure remembers that we hit her around pretty good last year in the sectional final,” Blade said. “She was really good at their place (earlier this season).

“We seen them in the sectional final last year, they’re good. … It’s no different than when we play East. It’s going to be same thing. Who’s going to execute, who’s going to hit, that type of thing and all about timing.”

What Edwardsville likes about going into the game is not only a five-game winning streak and a 16-1 run, but it’s the way they’ve won.

The bats, and the Tigers don’t have anybody hitting under .300 and they’re averaging 10 runs per game, will always be there, but the defense is what’s really thrived under senior hurler Kallen Loveless (19-1), who relies on her teammates behind her to make plays.

Blade said she’d put her team against anyone when it plays defense like that, particularly against East on Tuesday.

“I would. If we’re solid behind Kallen, and it’s going to take those hits and it’ll take a special day, then so be it. But right now, I love our approach and where we’re at,” Blade said. “These kids have kind of played the whole season to get to this point. When you have those nine seniors, that’s what they’re playing for. You worry throughout the season because they were kind of going through the motions sometimes, but now the team I know and love is showing up to compete.”

“I think defense is like a major thing that we have,” said Corby, who recorded seven putouts Tuesday. “I think that’s what makes us a good team is how strong our defense is.”

Loveless, a senior, enters the game with a 0.77 earned-run average and is hitting .475 with a team-leading 33 RBI and second in home runs with five. Senior center fielder Rachel Anderson leads Edwardsville in hitting with a .535 batting average, hits (46), runs scored (45), is first in home runs with seven and is second in RBI with 31.